'India, Pakistan must spare a thought for my Kashmir plan'

11 June 2005The Daily Times

Lahore: Dr Mubashir Hasan, Punjab Pakistan People's Party-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB) president, has appealed to Pakistan, India and political leaders of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir to take his win-win plan seriously. The plan was published in a national newspaper on April 21 and received no critical comments from Pakistanis.Dr Hasan in a statement issued on Saturday said 'The plan prepared by the former finance minister envisages doing away with the Line of Control, giving Kashmiris the right to travel and trade in Pakistan and India, allowing Pakistanis and Indians to freely travel and trade in the former state, confirming the right of India and Pakistan to defend Kashmir's border with China and withdrawal of Indian and Pakistani forces from the state. The plan also envisages a treaty between Pakistan and India that they would not wage war in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir and all parties will honour the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.'He suggests that under the new arrangement, Kashmir should not have an army of its own nor should it be able to enter into any relations with foreign powers, which might jeopardise the security interests of India and-or Pakistan. However, he suggested, that the state should be internally autonomous and India and Pakistan should help Kashmir create a special force, which should help the civil power when required.Last month, Dr Hasan presented his plan before Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and a select gathering of influential people in New Delhi.Dr Hasan had also suggested that the new state of Kashmir may issue its own passports, have its own currency or that both the Pakistani and Indian rupees may be legal tender in the state.